1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144 
Psi CASE TWO
Page 23
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
Driver who ignored VOSA faces prison
A DRIVER WHO decided to i ore VOSA orders to stop has een convicted of dangerous riving and warned that he could face a jail sentence.
Chesterfield lorry driver Mark eniston denied the offence, but as convicted by the jury at Mold Crown Court.
Traffic Examiner Paul Edwards said he was on duty in a high,4sibility VOSA vehicle, when he aw an artic belonging to Maguire 1 nternational on the A55.
He targeted the vehicle for a safety check, passed it and ignalled his intention to move front. The driver drove to within two metres of a small Honda car in front, with both vehicles travelling at 50tnph.
This act stopped Edwards from being able to place himself in front of the artic and instruct the driver to follow him to the check site at Ewloe.
The occupants of the car appeared terrified. He changed the matrix to "follow me" and got in front of the artic, which closed quickly towards the rear of his vehicle. He felt intimidated, and thought the truck might ram his vehicle. The artic then overtook him and sped off down the hill.
About two miles later he caught up. Beniston entered a 40mph limit at some roadworks, speeding through there before joining the M56 motorway.
On the approach to Hapsford Services, Edwards overtook the artic and again instructed the driver to "follow mc': The artic complied, but again closed to an unsafe distance behind him.
Edwards believed that Beniston's manner of driving was extremely aggressive, intimidating and unsafe.
Beniston had driven in a dangerous way because it allowed insufficient time to react if the vehicles being tailgated were forced to change speed or direction quickly.
Alwyn Jones, a passenger in the Honda, said he had been frightened by Beniston's driving.
Beniston said the film taken by the cameras in the VOSA vehicle gave a distorted picture.
Judge John Rogers adjourned the case for pm-sentence reports, warning Beniston that he could face a prison sentence.